Key cutting and duplicating machine



A ril 28, 1936. .J. A. MINTZ 2,038,949

KEY CUTTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 28, 1936. J. A. MINTZ 2,038,949v

KEY CUTTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet? f IE5 Fig 23, 1935' J. A; MINTZ 2,038,949

KEY CUTTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 5 Sheets- Sheet :5

INVENIQR.

Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY CUTTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINE I Joseph Mintz, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 19, 1934, Serial No. 744,621

7 3 Claims. My invention relates to key cutting and duplicating machines, by means of which key blanks maybe quickly and accurately cut to correspond to or duplicate a pattern or master key.

One object of my invention is to provide a machine, simple in construction and operation and which is adaptable to cut any of the cylinder or Yale lock type or the flat type keys.

Another object is the utilization of a clamping means for retaining the guide spacing or master key in a definite fixed position and a similar clamping means for retaining the blank key in a reverse position on a pivoting or swinging arm also definitely located relative to the guide spacing key.

A further object is the production of a novel method of setting the depth of the cuts in the I grooved longitudinal seat and adjustable top imember or U plate for securing the guide spacer key and. the blank key in their respective clamps, one end of the clamp serving as a locating shoulder for a key having a corresponding shoulder upon its inner side, and alternately therewith,

when the key to be cut is provided with a shoulder on its outer side only, a swinging finger or stop member definitely locates the position of the key in the clamp and is applicable to both clamps for the guide spacer key and the blank key so that the relative positions of both key and blank will be such that the blank will be cut in duplicate with the guide key.

To accomplish these and other useful results, the invention comprises the combination and arrangement of parts and construction of details hereinafter more fully described in the specification andits accompanying illustrations and specifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate my invention:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the device with the .pivoting arm in lowered or idle position.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 except that the pivoting arm is in a raised or operating position.

' ley operated.

the said webbed flange in the conventional manner.

being retained immovably by a pin 62 attached Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the pivoting armin raised position but not in operating position. I

Fig. 5 is a left end elevation of the device, pul- Fig. 6 is a right end elevation. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on lines 1'.1 of Fig.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a key inserted in the fixed clamp. *i'O Fig. 9 is a sectional view of Fig. 8., Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of thedevice showing the pulley wheel belt driven.

Fig. 11,is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with a dif-- ferent cutting wheel for use in. cutting flat keys onlyf 12 is a, fragmentary view of the dial face showinganeccentric mounted within the center of the dial.

Again referring to the drawings: a flat base ZO whereby the device may be attached to a table or bench l2 by a thumb bolt I 3 turned through,

A pair of bearings l4 and I 5 respectively, at opposite sides of the top surface of the said base and integral therewith, retain within a sliding rod l 6 upon which is mounted a pivoting or swinging 30 arm I7 which is attached to the rod l6 by means of a set screw l8 through the sleeve Ila of. said pivot arm l1. 7

A clamp member I9 is formed at the upper end; of pivot arm I! which is grooved at 20 into which groove is fitted the longer arm 2 la of the U plate 2| as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7, said U plate being secured to clamp member H] by bolt 22fand wing nut 23. The clamp thus formed between the U plate 2| and the clamp member I 9 retains a blank key 24 in a rigid position in the recess formed between the clamp member and the U plate. A spring 58 superimposed over bolt 22 between clamp member and U plate provides the necessary tension to retain the key in rigid position 45 as the wing nut 23 is screwed down on bolt 22.

An eccentric dial 25 is attached by means of a screw 26 to the face of a lug 21 projecting from lower clamp member I9, an indicator 28 is immovably secured to said screw 26, thus as the dial is rotated the indicator remains stationary,

Mounted within an aperture in the center of dial 25 is an eccentric 6|, the screw 26 passing through said eccentric to the lug 21, the eccentric to the face of the lug 21, said pin projecting through an aperture 63 in said eccentric.

An inset finger 29 is attached by a screw 3| to the dial face 30 adjacent the last numeral indicated on the dial face, the end of said finger extending beyond the edges of the dial 25 at the fiat portion 32 as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7.

A bearing standard or mounting 33 on the base ID carries an elongated bearing 34 thereon, through which a shaft 35 is rotatably mounted, a pulley wheel 36 secured at one end of said shaft is retained by a nut 31 while at the opposite end of the shaft 35 is attached a cutting wheel 38 secured by washer 39 and nut 40.

The bearing 34 has attached thereto, a clamp member 4|, which may be integral with said bearing, said clamp member having a groove 42 longitudinally placed to receive the longer arm 43 of the U plate 44 which is retained on the clamp member 4| by the bolt 45 and wing nut 46. The clamp thus formed retains a guide spacer key 41 in a rigid position in the recess 48 formed between the short arm 49 of the U plate and the clamp member 4|.

A handle 50 is secured to the pulley wheel 36 for manual operation when such is necessary or desired.

In operation, the wing nut 46 on the clamp member 4| is unscrewed slightly, releasing the tension of the spring 58 on U plate 44, the guide spacer key 41 is then placed in recess 48 with the inner shoulder 54 of said guide key forming a stop against the end of the clamp member 4|, the wing nut 46 is then screwed down tightening the U plate 44 on the said clamp member 4| and thus securing the guide spacer key 41 in a rigid position.

The blank key 24 is secured in like manner between clamp member l9 and the U plate 2|, in recess 48a, but in the reverse position, the guide spacer key 41 being positioned opposite the eocentric dial 25 while the blank key 24 is positioned opposite the cutting wheel 38, the dial is then rotated to the numeral indicating the depth of the cut desired, the swinging'or pivoting arm I1 is moved into position for engaging as shown in Fig. 5, the power is then applied through the pulley wheel 36 and the pulley 36a, the swinging arm H with clamp member I9 is moved forward so that the edge of the dial 25 engages the first notch in the guide spacer key 41, the blank key will be cut in the same place as the notch in the guide spacer key, the dial 25 is then turned 'to the next depth cut as indicated by a code book or guide spacer key, the dial edge following the profile of said guide spacer key 41 and the blank key 24 being cut in the same direction by the cutting wheel 38, as for example-if a four out is desired such as 4636, the dial 25 is turned until the indicator 28 points to the numeral 4, the first notch is then cut to that depth, the dial then being turned to the numeral 6, depth cuts second and fourth are then made following which the dial again is turned to the last numeral of the out which is 3 and the third notch is out which completes the operation.

Duplicate notches are thus cut in the edge of the blank key 24 by the cutting wheel 38 simultaneously with the movement of the dial edge along the guide spacer key 41,

When using keys with no inner shoulder, swingi ing fingers 55 act as stops, said fingers being mounted on opposite .ends of clamp members l9 and 4| by means of screws 56 and are employed to position the guide spacer key 41 and blank key 24.

In cutting a flat key 51, the procedure is the same as heretofore described except that the dial 25 is turned so that the inset finger 29 secured to the dial face 30 engages the notches in the guide spacer key, thus spacing the greater depth of the cut in the fiat key 51 with the diameter of the cutting wheel 5|.

A stop member 59 may be secured to sliding rod I6 by means of a screw 64 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to prevent rod |6 from sliding out of said bearing supports 4 and I5.

Heretofore machines for cutting keys have been so constructed with expensively machined parts that it has been found very costly to equip a shop for key cutting, moreover a different machine has been necessary for each type of key, therefore this device which combines the cylinder and Yale lock type with a flat key type, fills a need for a simple and inexpensive machine which will eificiently out both types and which may be operated either by hand or by power.

Having fully described my invention within the scope of the statement of the objects thereof 2 hereinabove set forth, I therefore caim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a key cutting device, a base, a vertical support, and an elongated bearing thereon, a cutting disc and a shaft therefor mounted in said bearing, and a means for rotating said shaft, a fixed guide key clamping member upon said shaft bearing, a parallel sliding rod at a lower level, bearing supports therefor on said base, and a relatively movable blank clamping member and a. support therefor mounted upon said sliding rod and movable thereby in the path of said cutting disc, said guide key and blank being provided with corresponding stop shoulders, said clamping members being provided with stop shoulders upon their opposite outer ends, and an eccentric dial positioned at the end of said movable clamping member opposite said shoulder of said guide key, to engage with the operating edge of said guide key simultaneously with the traversing of the said cutting disc along the edge of said blank.

2. A key cutting device comprising a base, an elevated rotatable shaft and bearing therefor, a cutting disc upon said rotatable shaft, a fixed clamping member upon one side of said bearing, a parallel sliding rod mounted in bearing supports upon said base, an opposed clamping member and support therefor mounted upon said sliding rod and rotatably and slidingly movable therewith, towards and from said fixed clamping member and opposite said cutting disc, and an eccentric dial attached to said movable clamping member, said fixed clamping member being positioned to hold a guide key at the time a blank is secured in said movable clamping member, and said eccen- 50 tric dial being positioned to engage with the edge of said key while said cutting disc is operating on said blank, corresponding fixed positioning shoulders on the outer ends of said clamping members, and movable positioning arms thereon, alternately usable therewith.

3. In a cutting device, the combination with a base, an elevated rotatable shaft and bearing therefor, a stationary clamp member upon said h bearing having a guide key secured therein, a cutting disc upon said rotatable shaft, a parallel sliding rod mounted in bearing supports on said base, a swinging clamp member with blank secured therein mounted upon said sliding rod and relatively opposed to said stationary clamp member, an eccentric dial attached to said swinging clamp member, said dial comprising a disc having numerals in sequence imprinted upon the face thereof, an aperture in the center of said disc, an eccentric mounted within said aperture, a pin rigidly j ournaled in the face of the movable clamp member adjacent the disc and projecting therein, definitely positioning said eccentric, an indicator mounted against the face of said dial upon which the indicator is mounted, said indicator positioning said dial in relation to said guide key and indicating the depth of the cut to be made in said blank by said cutting disc as said dial edge traverses the edge of the guide key simultaneous with the cutting of said blank by the cutting disc.

JOSEPH A. MINTZ. 

